Tag Archives: pins

When thinking of using social media in order to drive traffic to your website, Pinterest may be one of the best ones out there, with 28% of adults online using, it is one of the most popular social network sites following Facebook and LinkedIn.

Being an image centric cite, it is excellent network for many professional and business owners to display their works. The business industry that can benefit from using this site is endless. Pictures say a thousand words, and no business face detrimental effects from the use of this cite.

In order to make the optimum use of the features that Pinterest offers its users, it is necessary to start off by making your presence strong on Pinterest.

Upload your pins from your website, not from your computer

The connection between your pin and its source is the most valuable part of using Pinterest. Each time you link your website to your Pinterest, you are directing back to your website from a popular reputable source. Also, when another individual decided to repin the pin that you originally posted, the link is directed back to your website.

Choose the appropriate category for your pins

When decided the category for your pins, it is necessary to make sure that you pick the right category and are specific. When the category seems inappropriate, it comes through as bad practice, does not reach the right users, and indicates a spam pin.

Verify your website or blog

This is a vital step as it means that the content which you have pinned belongs to you and your website, and it also gives access to the Pinterest Analytics. Once you have verified, the visitors will be able to see a checkmark beside your business name indicating verification.

Although it may not be obvious at first, many Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies also apply to Pinterest. Your boards and pins are indexed externally by search engines, and Pinterest also indexes its own contents in order to feed its internal search. Regardless of the methods that consumers are using Google or Pinterest to find your business, the administration of the incorrect strategy may prove to be detrimental.

Following are the outlined best Pinterest strategies that help drive more traffic to your website by making your content easier to find, both on and off Pinterest.

Optimize Your Board

The names and the descriptions are vital in the sense that they indicate what to be expected, and also assist in the finding of your content with ease. Writing a well detailed yet brief description for your board is also essential. Ensure the repetition of key words for higher SEO. Your board description should resemble a meta description.

Optimize Pin Descriptions

Engaging descriptions are also vital for individual pins. Although it may seem that the descriptions of the individual pins are overlooked, they help the visitor understand the context of the image and how it applies to your business. Pinterest does support hash tags, however, too many in this context is not useful. A recent study by the social media scientist suggests that pin descriptions of approximately 200 characters are the most repinnable. Pin descriptions require the most strategic thinking and forethought — but they’re worth the effort!

Use Rich Pins

When Pinterest first started, there was only one type of pin. There are six types of Rich Pins as of this writing: Place, Article, Product, Recipe, Movie and App. If unsure of how rich pins can be applied, it is worthwhile to research and get them started on your Pinterest account.

Increase Engagement

Like all other social networking sites, it is necessary to be engaged. Take advantage of this by engaging with your followers and other Pinterest users. The more active you are in liking, commenting or re-pinning, the more likely your business is to be visible to your target audience.

Install the Pin It Button

The best part about the Pin It button is that once you install it, your work is done! Your website visitors and readers can Pin your content for you, and their followers will see the activity on Pinterest as well, thereby increasing the impressions (and hopefully clicks) your content receives.

Pinterest is that popular new social media platform that is getting all the buzz from small business owners. This platform is full of potential for growing your small business because people are fascinated by the visual! Consumers and brands alike want to get to know Pinterest and start gaining some of the benefits it may bring! Many businesses and brands are beginning to pin and populate boards without a strategy in place. Some are just plain boring and some are so terrible that they are actually damaging the brand’s reputation.

Your goal is to build a strong presence on social media platforms and this requires providing high quality, interesting content and responding to the wants and needs of your audience and potential clients. Your strategy should incorporate content that is centered on the following questions: Who is your audience? What do they care about?

Start off by doing some research. Look at how other brands within your field (your competitors) are using Pinterest, and how users are responding. You need to know what interests your audience. Now you are probably anxious and ready to start pinning. Keep these do’s and don’ts in mind:

The Do’s:

Come up with catchy names for your boards and strategically choose the cover pin for each carefully (ie. Your boards’ cover photos are the first thng your audience sees when landing on your page so better make them look appealing. Visual stimulation is key!)

Use “$” sparingly because trying to sell something on Pinterest can be perceived as pushy and annoying

Always link your pins back to the original source page to boost traffic back to your website

Comment on other pins and interact with new groups of people

Utilize the comment feature on your own pins-longer comments and descriptions get noticed

Try asking a question in the comment box to elicit a response or get a discussion going

Follow the 5-5-2 formula to get started (ie: 5 boards about things your audience loves, 5 boards on things that your audience has a hard time finding, 2 boards about your business/brand)

Use a secret board to save content for the future. When you’re on the hunt for great images to repin, don’t worry about getting your timing right. Simply create a secret board, pin the image to that board and include the original pin’s URL in the caption so you can go back and repin it publicly when you have time.

Use keywords in your descriptions. If you took the time to optimize your site with relevant keywords, why not optimize your Pinterest with the same keywords? Boards, pins and profile descriptions are all excellent places to work some SEO magic so you can come up in search results.

The Don’ts:

Don’t pin more than 5 consecutive pins all at one time (it is better to spread them out over time, otherwise people may begin unfollowing you)

Don’t forget to sign in and out if you have multiple logins (ie: personal and business accounts)

Don’t be afraid to ask your Facebook and Twitters followers to follow you on Pinterest

Don’t pin only pictures of your products, think beyond. This is huge. DO NOT pin only your own content. Stretch your brand’s personality into other areas of visual interest such as articles related to your field, interesting images and funny memes. (your audience does not want blatant advertisements all over their feed)

Don’t be hard to find.It’s a good idea to keep your profile specific to your company, so anyone searching for you on Pinterest will know they have the right profile in one glance.

Don’t forget the “Office” board. These may not get repined but it is important to have fun pictures from around your office. These boards help humanize your brand to followers and clients, helping to foster a deeper connection. You can even link to the board in the “About Us” page of your website.